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TTOBNEY /N VEN To@ @rf/vari. /CC-Dw/S A E FowLE METHOD OF' AND APPARATUS FOR DRAWING SHEET GLASS Patented Mar. 6, 1923.

UNITED sra'res PATENT ori-ics ARTHUR E. FOWLE, OF TOLEDO, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO LIBBEY-OWENS SHEET GLASS COMPANY, `Ol TOLEDO, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO;

-pivrn'rHoD or AND APPARATUS non DRAWING SHEET Grass.

Application ledOctober 3, 1921. Serial No. 504,970. I

- .To all 4whom t may concern.' i

Be it known that LARTHUR E. Fowiin, a

citizen ot the United States, residing at Toledo, in the county otLucas and State of Ohio, have invented new and useful Improvements in Methods of and Apparatus for Drawing Sheet Glass, ot which' the iiollowingis a specilication'.

This invention relates to improvements in the art or drawing sheet glass, and especially to an improved system and apparatus toi" drawing a plurality ot' sheets kot glass si-` multaneously from a bath ot molten glass, passing the same in seperable contact' with one another about a bending device and through a drawing mechanism, and then separating the several sheets so that they may be individually annealed and cut into the desired sizes.

In the applicati-on ot Joseph l). Crowley, Serial Numberl 386,440, led June 4', 1920, is disclosed a system ot' drawing sheet glass wherein a pair of sheets are drawn vertically from abath of molten glass, and after becoming partially set so that `they will not adliei'e to one another, are brought into contact and bent collectively about a single bend.- ing roller and then passed through a single drawing mechanism and'into alcer. kSuch a system doublesr the output of the sheet drawing apparatus, and also has the advantage that a traveling surface ot glass (the lower sheet), is interposed between the upper sheet ot the pair and the operating portions ot the drawing and bending devices so that nothingencounters this upper sheet to mar its surface. i v

The present invention is an addition to, and improvement on the glass sheet drawing system set forth in this Cr'owley'appli- `cation. In the 'present system the sheets are drawn, as before, in. separable contact with one another but as they enter the leer, mechanism is' provided whereby the sheets istactory. ani'iealing.v Also since each sheet eu'ierges separatelyonto its own cuttingtable the process ot seif'ering the respective, sheets intoisuitable lights or sections isk greatly facilitated.

vplied to the pot 1.

are separated and conveyed` individually,r

the leer, thus securing more uniform and sait-5 tional view taken substantially on line 3-3 ot Figs. 1 and 2, indicating one of the devices for slidably supporting the edges of the upper sheet.

JAt lis indicated a portion of a draw-pot or receptacle containing a supply of molten glass 2.` This pot is preferably in direct communication with a continuous tank furnace, wherefrom a substantially constant level of molten glass is continuously supdrawn upwardly trom the bath 2 between suitable edge holding devices 4 and then bent over cooled bending roller 5 and passed horizontally over suitable intermediate guide rolls G and 7 through a sheet-drawing meehanism indicated generally at 8. This sheetdrawing mechanism may be of any'approved form but as here shown comprises an endless traveling flattening table 9 and an upper endless traveling draw mechanism. 10 which preferably bears only upon the edge portions ot the sheet of glass. Drawing mechanisms et this character aredisclosed, for example, in the patent to'Collourn, 1,248,809, granted Dec. 4L, 1917. A second sheet of glass 11 is also drawn upwardly 'from the molten glass Q, parallel with the vsheet 3, and after becoming partially set is deflected about a cooled bending roller 12 and passed about the bending roll 5 beneath the sheetB(V This sheet 11 also passes over the guide rolls 6 and 7 and through the draw mechanism 8 beneath the sheet-3 and in direct contact with these devices. i The sheets 3 and 11 although still somewhat plastic, and workable, are set by the time they reach the bending roll 5 to such a degree that they will'not adhere to one' another. i It will be noted that the sheet stantially its final form, rests upon atravel-l A sheet ot glass 3 is ing surface of glass, that is the lower sheet 1l, and does not come iii direct contact with any portions of the drawing or bending mechanism. Since the contacting glass surfaces will not scratch or mar one another the upper sheet 3 will pass through the entire drawing operation without having its fine fire-polished surface injured in any way', and the lower sheet ll will. be subject to no n iore damaging influences than are incidental to the processes now iii use wherein only a single sheet is drawn. .All of the above is substantially as set forth in the Crowley application noted above- The present invention aims to improve and simplify the annealing and cutting' operations as applied to sheets drawn by the process just described. Beyond the sheet drawing mechanism and in direct communication therewith is a leer 13 which is of considerable length and has its temperature regulated from a rather high heat in the end where the sheets enter from the drawing` mechanism to a much cooler temperature at the end la4 where the sheets emerge. At l5 is indicated a lire box containingsuitable burners 16 for supplyingi a inild heat to the entry end of the leer, the temperature at this point being substantially that of the sheets as they emerge from the draw mechanism. Other buiners or sources of heat may be disposed at intervals throughout the length of the leer so as to provide for a gradual reduction in the temperature from one end to the other. As shown in Fig. l, the leer is broken awa-y at l? to indicate that a considerable portion of its length has been omitted in the drawings. Then the sheets 3 and ll emerge from the drawing mechanism 8 and enter the leer they are flat and set in their final sheet form, and although still quite hot are no longer plastic. 'However these sheets, as is the case with finished sheets of glass of any coiisideifable length, have a ceitain amount of elasticity and it is possible to spring the sheets apart without breaking them or destroying their flatiiess. As shown iii Fig. l of the drawings a conveyer is provided for the lower sheet ll comprising a series of spaced supporting i'olls 1S. These rolls at the hotter end of the leer may be covered with asbestos or suitable refractory material and as the temperature decreases the rolls may be made of any suitable material that will not scratch the surface of the glass.v

All of these rollers are preferably driven at such a speed that their peripheral tra-Vel will conform tothe speed at which the sheet is drawn by the mechanism 8. It will be noted that the first few rollers 19 at the entry end of the leer are arranged along a gentle slope, the angle being about that througlrwhich the sheet ll will bend under its own weight without danger of breakage. After the sheet ll has been deflected downwardly a few inches from the horizontal plane in which it entered the leer, the rollers 18 are again mounted with their axes in the same horizontal plane so that the sheet l1 will continue throughout the remainder ofthe leer in a horizontal plane parallel to that of the upper surfacebi the rollers. A second set of conveying rollers 2O is located a few inches above and parallel with thel conveying rollers 18. These rollers 2O are similar in all respects to the rollers 18 and also preferably driven. Near the entry end of the leer a series of somewhat smaller rollers 2l are located between tlie sheets 3 and ll and the upper sheet 3 Yis gently deflected upwardly over these rollers 2l onto the series of upper supporting rolls 20. A pair of rollers 22, between which the two sheets pass loosely, are located )ust beyond the drawing mechanism 8. These rollers 22 prevent the separation of the sheets carrying back too far into the drawing mechanism. y y

Between the line of separation of the two sheets and the first upper supporting roller 2l, stationary supports such as '30, projecting under the edge portions of the upper sheet 3, may be used. These stationary supports may be made of metal or refractory material, and may be made rather thin so as to support the upper sheet where the space between the separating sheetsl 'is hardly sufficient to allow the introduction of a su )porting roller. These supports BO preferahly extend under only the edge portions of the sheet Sil, and since these edyge portions are usually' more or less marred and deformed by the edge forming rollers l, and must be eventually discarded, any. scratching resulting from. the sliding contact of the sheet with the supports 3U is immaterial. Although it is preferable to use those supports 80, they are not absolutely necessary, since the distance between the supporting rollers 2l and 22 is not great and the sheet 3 may ybe self-supporting between these points.

The sheet 3 passes out from the end of the leer onto a cutting table 23 where it is severed into the desired sizes or sections as is now common in this art. The sheet l1 passes beneath the cutting table 23 and over a series of supporting rolls 24 onto a cutting table 25 located slightly beyond the cutting table 23 and with its cutting surface in a lower plane. In this way the two sheets may be conveniently handled 1ndividually after the annealing process is completed.

In Fig. 2 is shown a slight modification of the above in `which the upper sheet B'is not deflected upwardly .but is carried through the leer in the same horizontally plane in which it emerges from the draw mechanism 8. The springing'ordelecting process is applied entirely lto the lowersheet- 11,. which is allowed to sink vunder itsjown weight along the series of rollers 19 and thence on to the conveying rollers 20; The

rollers 19 throughout that portion of the conveyor where the sheet is being bent or deflected are preferably adjustabley 'vertically so that theyv may be positioned along the curve that the sheet of glass will nat# urally take when bending under its own weight. As shown toward the left hand end of Fig. 2 some of the rollers are'out of contact with the sheet, as it may be preferable to allow the sheet to bend freely at this point. The advantage of this" second form of the apparatus lies in the fact that thek upper sheet 3, which is normally the better of the two, is not subjected to any bendino` n or springing operation and henceisless liable` to breakage.

In a glass drawing mechanism of this type 4 the sheets travel out ofpcontact with one another throughout the major portion of the leer and thus both surfaces of thel sheets are freely exposed to the tempering influence of the air within the leer and the annealing process willj be more uniform than ifthe sheets passy through the leer in contact/with one ano-ther. Also sincethe sheets emerge` from the leei in separated planes, they may be each passed onto an individual', cutting table, thus awoidingv the inconvenience and possible loss through breakage and damage of sheets when it ris attempted to cutv two orv more superimposed sheets upon thesame cutting table. 'i

Claims: n p l. r[he process of producing sheetl glass, comprising drawing a sheet of glass from a supply of molten glass, interposing a traveling surface of" glass betweenthesheet and its supports yduring theliattening process, and then separating the sheet from itsr glass support and annealing thesheet.

2. The process of drawing .sheet glass, comprising drawing a sheet of glass upwardly from la supply of molten teiposing a traveling surfaceotv glass between the sheet and its supports .while it is being bent into the horizontal and flattened,

and then advancing the sheet out ofcoiitact with such glass support, 'through a leer'.

3. The process of producing sheet glass, comprising the simultaneous ydrawing of a plurality of sheets from a supply of molten glass, passing the sheets in separable contact with one another about a bending roll and through a drawing and flattening apparatus, then separating the sheets `andpassing them out of contact with one another through a leer.

Ll. The process of producing'sheetglass, comprising the simultaneous drawing of a glass, in-

pluralitysof sheets from a supply offlmolten glass, passing the sheets inseparable contact with one another about a bending roll andv through a drawing and flattening apparatus, then separating the sheets and passing them out of contact with lone another through a leer, and .onto separate cutting tables.

5. The process ofy drawing sheet glass,

comprising the simultaneous drawing of'a'v plurality of separate sheets from a supply of molten glass, passing the sheets in sep arable contact with one another through the same'drawing and flattening apparatus,then separating the sheets and annealing them `out of Contact 'with one another in the same plurality of sheets from a supply of molten glass, drawing the sheets in separable contact with one another about a bending device, separating the drawn sheets rand annealing them out of contact with one another e inthe same leer.

8. The process of producing sheet glass,

comprising the simultaneous drawing of a plurality of v'sheets from a supply of molten glass, drawing the sheets in separable con`v tact with one another about a bending device, separating the drawn sheets and an,- iiealing them out of Contact with one another in the same leer, and delivering the sheets to individual cutting tables.

19.`An apparatus for the manufacture of sheet glass, comprising a supply of molten glass, means for drawing therefrom a plurality of separate sheets of glass, a common bending device about which the sheets" are passed in separable contact with each other,

drawing means for the glass sheets, a leer, y

and rseparate conveyors for the sheets within the leer, comprisingmeans for separating thevsheets and advancing them through the leer out of contact with one another.

l0. An rapparatus for the manufacture of sheet comprising a supply of molten glass, means for drawing therefrom a plurality of separate sheets ofV glass, a common bending device about whichthe sheets are passed in separable contact with each other, a common drawing and flattening means through which the sheets pass in separable contact with each other, a leer, and separate conveyors kfor the sheets within the leer,

comprising' means for separating the sheets and advancing them through the leer out of contact with one another.

11. lin an apparatus for drawing a plurality of separate continuous sheets of glass in separable contact with one another, a leer into which the sheets are advanced, and means within the leer for separating the sheets and advancingI them individually through the leer.

12. In an apparatus tor drawing a. plurality of separate continous sheets or". glass in separable contact with one another, a leer into which the sheets are advanced, means withinthe leer for separating the sheets and advancing them individually through the leer, and a series of cutting tables beyond the leer, one sheet being advanced onto each table.

13. In an apparatus for drawing a plurality of continuous sheets ot glass in separable contact with one another, a leer into which the sheets are advanced, supporting rollers for the lower sheet at one end ot the leer, means for separating the sheets, and parallel series or' rollers for advancing-the separated sheets individually through the leer.

14. In an apparatus for drawing two continuous sheets of glass in separable Contact with each other, a leer into which the sheets are advanced, rollsat the leer entrance for supporting the pair of sheets, a continuous series of advancing` and sup} orting rolls for carrying the upper sheet horizontally through the leer, theftirst rolls of the series being of smallerdiameter so that the lower sheet may be deflected thcrebeneath, and a series of advancing and supporting rolls tor iinlependently 4crnfrying the lower sheet through the leer. i

15. In an apparatus tor drawing sheet glass, a supply of molten glass, a bending roll, means for drawing two sheets ot gl upwardly from the supply and over the roll in separable contact with one another', a leer into which the sheets are advanced, and means within the leer to separate the two sheets, and -arry them independently through the leer.

16. In an apparatus for drawing sheet glass, a supply of molten glass, a bending Vand State of Ohio, this 29th day of Sept.,

roll, means for drawing two sheets ot glass upwardly from the supply and over the roll in separable contact with one another, a leer into which the sheets are advanced,

means within the leer to separate the two sheets, and carry them independently through the leer, and separate cutting tables onto which the sheets are advanced from theleer.

17. In an apparatus for drawing sheet glass, a supply of molten glass, a bending roll, means tor drawing two sheets of glass upwardly from the supply and over the roll in separable contact with one another, a leer into which the sheets are advanced, means within the leer to deflect the lower sheet downwardly from the upper sheet, and separate conveyors for advancing the separated sheets through the leer.

18. In an apparatus for drawing sheet glass, a supply ot molten glass, a bending` roll, means 'for drawing twosheets of glass upwardlyrom the supply and over the roll in separable contact with one another, a leer into which the sheets are advanced, means within the leer to dciect the lower sheet downwardly from thc upper sheet, separate conveyors for advancing the separated sheets through the leer, and separate cutting tables onto which the sheets are advanceifl from the leer.

l1S). In an apparatus for drawing` two sheets oit glass in separable contact with one another, a leer into which the sheets are advanced, an upper series ot supporting rollers in the leer onto which the upper sheet is advanced, a lower series of supporting rollers onto which `the lower sheet is advanced atter being deliected.(ltmmwardly, and means slidably suplnorting the edge portions ol the upper sheet between the line ot separation ot' the sheets and thc Iii-st upper supporting roller.

20. ln an apliaratus tor 'drawing two sheets ot glass in separable cmitact with one another, a leer into which the sheets are advanced, au upper series ot supporting rollers in thc leer onto which thc upper sheet is advanced, a lower series of: supporting roll` ers onto which the lower sheet .is advanced after being deflected downwardly, and stationary supports projecting under the edge portions only of the upper sheet between the line ot separation ot thc sheets and the sup portingl rollers.

Signed at Toledo, in the county ot Lucas ARTHUR E. FOl/VLE. 

